ago. I suppose you did not notice anything out of the
common, or you would have reported it to me at once, eh?"

"Me no undelstand `anything outel le common', mastel; what mastel mean?"
enquired Ling, his almond-shaped eyes opening in apparent puzzlement.

"I mean," replied Frobisher, rather testily--for he now felt almost
convinced that the fellow was trying to hoodwink him--"that I suppose
you are quite sure that no spy, no one belonging to the enemy, in fact,
approached or entered the camp while I was asleep and you were on
guard?"

"Oh!" exclaimed Ling, his face breaking out into a smile, "I undelstand
now. No, mastel; nobody not come neal camp. If anyone had come he
would be dead by now; me shoot any stlangel quick, without ask any
questions."

"All right!" answered Frobisher, permitting himself to be almost
persuaded against his better judgment that the man was honest, so
absolutely child-like and bland was his manner; "get away to your own
quarters and secure as much sleep as you possibly can, for we have a
long march before us to-morrow." And he turned away, to show Ling that
his presence was no longer required.

But at the moment of turning he could almost have sworn that he caught
sight of Ling's lips parted in a sardonic smile. Frobisher wheeled
again immediately, but when he once more looked at the man, the Korean's
face was as indifferently emotionless as though carved from stone, and
Murray was compelled to acknowledge that the expression which he thought
he had noticed must have been due to the flickering shadows cast by the
lantern that he carried in his hand.

Thus dismissed, Ling trotted off and threw himself down beside the inner
wheels of one of the carts, covered his face with a fold of his ample
cloak, and was, to all outward appearance, fast asleep on the instant.
Frobisher, after regarding the recumbent form for a long minute or more,
silently tiptoed away to his post of observation, having reached which,
he extinguished the lantern, making sure, first of all, that his matches
were ready to hand in his pocket, so that the light might not prove a
convenient target for any prowling sharpshooter of the enemy.

He remained motionless in the one position for at least half an hour,
and then, beginning to feel a trifle cramped from his spell of
inactivity, made up his mind to traverse the sleeping camp, in order to
assure himself fully that all was as it should be. Leaving the lantern
beh